Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to the field of information handling system component management, and more particularly to an information handling system fluidic component manager.
Description of the Related Art
As the value and use of information continues to increase, individuals and businesses seek additional ways to process and store information. One option available to users is information handling systems. An information handling system generally processes, compiles, stores, and/or communicates information or data for business, personal, or other purposes thereby allowing users to take advantage of the value of the information. Because technology and information handling needs and requirements vary between different users or applications, information handling systems may also vary regarding what information is handled, how the information is handled, how much information is processed, stored, or communicated, and how quickly and efficiently the information may be processed, stored, or communicated. The variations in information handling systems allow for information handling systems to be general or configured for a specific user or specific use such as financial transaction processing, airline reservations, enterprise data storage, or global communications. In addition, information handling systems may include a variety of hardware and software components that may be configured to process, store, and communicate information and may include one or more computer systems, data storage systems, and networking systems.
Information handling systems typically include a variety of hardware components that cooperate to process information. For example, a central processing unit (CPU) executes instructions to process information stored in a random access memory (RAM). The information is typically stored in persistent storage devices, such as flash memory or a hard disk drive, and made accessible by controllers and firmware included in a chipset. The information is typically communicated through network interfaces, such as an Ethernet interface with a local area network (LAN) or a wireless interface with a wireless network, such as wireless local area network (WLAN) or wireless wide. The information is typically presented as visual images at a display by processing visual information into pixel values with a graphics processor unit (GPU). Manufacturers of information handling systems select hardware components of various types and capabilities in order to adapt an information handling system to an intended purpose, such as serving information, creating information, presenting information, communicating information, etc.
Information handling systems are built in a variety of chassis and/or housing structures that are generally adapted to the environment of their intended use. One example is a server information handling system built in an open chassis and held in a rack stacked with multiple other server information handling systems. Since server information handling systems are typically supported in designated locations with cooling and power infrastructure, a housing for protection from environmental danger and/or damage does not typically enclose the hardware components. Another example is a desktop information handling system designed to operate in an office environment. Desktop systems operate in a controlled environment but face some risk of damage due to spilled fluids, dust or unfriendly thermal conditions. Since desktop systems are not generally used in a portable manner, the housing around a desktop typically has extra room to hold hardware components in a raised position that limits exposure to fluids and increases volume for cooling airflow to manage thermal conditions. Although server and desktop systems have fewer constraints on the chassis and housing sizes when compared with portable information handling systems, manufacturers do generally attempt to efficiently build hardware components into available space. For example, server information handling systems typically have standard-sized spaces within a rack so that hardware components have a defined space. In order to provide desired processing functionality and cost goals, manufacturers attempt to allocate hardware components to available space in an efficient manner.
Portable information handling systems typically have tighter space constraints than server and desktop systems, and also tend to face a greater risk of environment damage. Generally portable information handling systems have housings designed to be carried by end users and used on-the-go. Portability generally means greater shock and vibration to components, increased risk of fluid and contaminant damage, and increased risk of loss of the system. To provide a portable system, manufacturers tend to select hardware components that have minimal size, thermal profile and power consumption. These hardware components are often tightly packed into housings that have minimal height and minimal internal air gaps so that generating a cooling airflow is often difficult and sometimes completely avoided by relying on passive cooling. In many instances, minimal numbers of power and communication ports are included so that the housing provides improved protection against dust and fluid damage. For example, many tablet and smartphone information handling systems have a single communication port that doubles as a power connector, such as with a USB cable.
One difficulty shared by all types of information handling systems is the security of data, whether by loss of data through unauthorized network accesses or physical loss of a system that stores data. Password, firewall and other security measures helps to alleviate this risk, however, as long as a system remains accessible at a network or capable of powering up, a determined hacker will usually be able to obtain at least some level of unauthorized access. Another difficulty is damage from contaminants, such as dust and fluids. Although manufacturers can include structures within an information handling system to help protect against data loss and contaminants, size constraints restrict the types of structures that are available.